Let Me Hear Your Balalaikas Ringing Out
by Christine Writer
Summary: Rory and Jess's conversation outside the pub. What would happen if Rory chose to follow Jess when he left?
1. What's Going On?

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

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"Jess, wait!" Rory followed Jess out of the pub. "Jess--I'm sorry."

"We shouldn't have done this." Jess knew that Rory hadn't meant to make anyone uncomfortable, but on the other hand, he hadn't done anything to protest.

"He's just in a bad way lately." Rory defended Logan, knowing that that was what Jess was referring to.

"He's a jerk." Jess retorted.

"He was--in there, definitely." she conceeded. "I'm so sorry."

"I read that guy the second I saw him. I should have begged off!" Jess said, disgusted.

"Well, I didn't want you to."

"He'd better not come out here." Jess said hotly.

"Please, Jess--" Rory said, "He's had a lot to drink; he's tired from traveling. This isn't him--I swear."

"What is going on?" Jess asked bluntly. Rory looked confused.

"I told you." she said. "He's tired, and his family's bugging him right now--"

"No--I mean with you. What's going on with you?"

"What do you mean?" Rory's heart sped up.

"You know what I mean. I know you--I know you better than anyone. This isn't you." Jess insisted.

"I don't know." Rory admitted. She didn't know what she was doing with her life.

"What are you doing? Living at your grandparents' place--being in the D.A.R.; dropping out of Yale--why did you drop out of Yale?" he asked.

"It's complicated." Rory said.

"It's not!" he shot back. "It's not complicated!"

"You don't know!"

"This isn't you! This--you going out with this jerk, with the Porsche? We made fun of guys like this!" Jess reminded her.

"You caught him on a bad night." Rory insisted.

"This isn't about him! Okay? Forget him! What's going on with you? This isn't you, Rory. You know it isn't. What's going on?" Rory looked almost sheepish, and he ducked lower to look her in the eyes.

"I don't know." Rory said, turning her face away. "I don't know." she repeated, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Maybe...maybe we'll catch up at a better time." he said. He touched her arm as he walked away, a sad substitute for the reassuring hug he wanted to give her.

He turned back, remembering. "Happy Birthday, by the way." Rory couldn't believe he had remembered! "Wasn't that a couple of weeks ago--your birthday?"

She nodded, and he tipped an invisible hat to her before walking away.


	2. Author's Note

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I originally intended to continue this story, and I am currently working on the second chapter. I have changed the status to In Progress (which I thought I had before) and hope this will not displease those who have reviewed and thought I simply lifted the dialogue from episode 6.8.

Thanks!  
ChristineWriter 


	3. I Choose

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"Jess, wait!" she took a few steps toward him. "I'm--"

Logan came out just then and wrapped his arms possessively around her waist. Jess began to walk away, but Rory freed herself from Logan and caught Jess by the arm.

"Wait." she told him. "We need to talk."

"We just did." he stated.

"No, we didn't. You yelled and I listened." Rory pointed out, and Jess knew that she was right.

"Fine." he said. "Let's talk."

"Okay, but I need to deal with Logan first." Rory had just remembered that Logan was standing behind her, and as she turned to face him, he looked ticked off. Jess stepped away from them wordlessly, and Rory sent him a thank you with her eyes. When he had gone, she lit into Logan.

"What was that, back in the pub? Why did you do that?" she asked him.

"Because," Logan said evenly, "you are my girlfriend--not his. I don't buy into the garbage that you two are just friends.

"Anyone can see that you both still have feelings for each other. But you have a problem, Rory, because you have someone else in love with you, too--me--and you have to choose between us." His words seemed to have come straight out of a badly scripted soap opera, but Rory felt sick knowing that this wasn't some television serial--it was her life!

"I choose Jess, then." she said simply.

"What?" this wasn't the answer Logan wanted or had expected.

"If you don't trust me, we can't do this. I have a platonic relationship with Jess at this point, and if you can't trust me that it is not romantic, then we can't have a solid relationship anyway."

"This isn't over!" Logan stormed out of the pub's courtyard.

"Is it safe to come out yet?" Jess teased gently.

"Yes." Rory said quietly.

"So...what happened?"

"I am no longer the girlfriend of Logan Huntzberger. He was annoyed because he says that it's obvious that we still have feelings for each other, and he doesn't like that." Rory spilled out.

"Well, he's right."

"Right about...?" Rory trailed off. Was Jess saying Logan was right about them still loving one another, or was he simply saying that Logan was right to be annoyed?

"He was right about us still having feelings for each other--I mean, on my end, anyway." he paused. "Do you still love me?"

Rory thought about it for a few minutes in silence. Then, she nodded. "I guess that's why none of my relationships have worked out since you left three years ago. Because I was still in love with you."

"It makes sense." Jess reasoned.

"I guess it does. So..."

"Do you want to go back to your grandparents' house?" he asked gently.

"No." she decided. "There's somewhere else I need to go."

Forty-five minutes later, Rory and Jess were almost to their destination. Rory called her mother as Jess pulled the car into a driveway. "Hello?" Loralei answered the phone.

"Look outside." was all Rory had to say.

Loralei opened the front door and immediately ran to Rory. "Rory!" she yelled, enveloping her daughter in a huge hug. They simply stood there, hugging, soaking each other in. They hadn't been like this in months. Tears were falling from Loralei's eyes, and she whispered hoarsely into her daughter's ear, "Welcome home."


	4. Author's Note 2

A/N: Many people have asked for more, but for now I regard this story as complete. Rory and Jess are together, Lorelai and Rory have reconciled, and I have nothing more to say. Please read my other works for more about Rory and Jess.

Lovingly yours, Christine Writer 


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